Final examinations are required and will be given at the scheduled times. A student may make up a final at any time when, in the judgment of the instructor, conditions warrant such an exception. In the event that an examination is scheduled at a time that is in violation of a student's religious creed, the student will be allowed to make up the examination without penalty.

Final grades will be available at the end of each quarter. The instructor of the course shall determine the grade given to each student except in the case of a mistake, fraud, incompetency or a grade issued in bad faith.

Only the instructor who teaches a class has the authority to issue grades to students enrolled in that class or to change grades that have already been issued. A student who wishes to request a grade change may take the following steps:
1. Contact the instructor. If there was a mistake in reporting the grade, the instructor will institute a grade change through the Office of Admissions and Records.
2. If the request for a grade change is denied by the instructor, the student may ask for a review of the grade by the School Dean.
3. Any change of a grade after it has been submitted to the Office of Admissions and Records must be done within one year following the end of the term in which the grade was assigned. No grade will be changed after the one year period without supporting evidence of extenuating circumstances and approval of the Director of Admissions and Records and the School Dean.

If an extreme emergency makes it impossible for a student to attend classes for a short period of time, the student may petition the instructor for a leave of absence. Petitions for leaves of absence are obtained from the Office of Admissions and Records. Absences incurred while on a leave of absence are not counted toward excessive absence. Approval is at the discretion of the instructor and may be for periods not to exceed five class days. Instructors will be asked to give make-up assignments for all work missed during the leave of absence.
Under no circumstances will emergency leaves be granted at the end of the quarter when finals would be missed or course requirements not fulfilled.

When a student finds it necessary to interrupt progress toward a degree for a reason that is related to his or her educational objective and that is acceptable to the appropriate university authorities, the student may be granted an Extended Leave of Absence (ELA).
Only students in good standing are eligible for an ELA. An ELA will be granted when the student has filed an approved petition with the Office of Admissions and Records. The leave petition, which must be approved by the School Dean, shall specify the reasons for the leave and the duration of the leave.

A student granted an ELA has a commitment from the University to be reinstated in good standing. The reason(s) for requesting a leave must be stated completely and clearly. Reasons students may petition for an ELA are, but are not limited to, the following:

a. professional or academic opportunities - such as travel or study abroad, employment related to educational goals and major fields of study, or participation in field study or research projects;
b. medical reasons - including pregnancy, major surgery, or other health-related circumstances; and,
c. financial reasons - such as the necessity to work for a specified period in order to resume study with adequate resources.

Approval will depend upon the significance of the leave in furthering the student's educational objective. It is the student's responsibility to demonstrate that there is a significant relationship between the leave of absence and progress toward their educational objective.
Leaves may be granted for a maximum of two years or eight consecutive quarters. A request for an ELA must be filed prior to the period of absence. Retroactive leave requests will not be approved.
Failure to return from an ELA, as specified in the approved petition, will be considered as a withdrawal from the University. Under such circumstances, re-enrollment will require a full application for readmission under the same circumstances as any new or returning applicant including enrollment in the curriculum in effect at the time of re-enrollment.